Copied
by Issahbellah Smite
Summary: In a secret department of the Government, a group of scientists are attempting to clone Logan. The clones typically come out flawed, and their only intention is to fight in war. Lauren escapes the project to find Logan and to get the X-Men to stop it.
1. Just a Copy

Chapter One

"This is positively appalling," Jackson muttered to Swanson. "Subject One's claws are not retractable and are extremely sensitive to heat. Subject Two is not capable of healing at all. Subject Four's brain is flat-out dysfunctional."

"Well," Swanson said back, "what about Subject Three?"

I drew my knees to my chest and stared at the floor. That was me. Subject Three. The scientists stepped over to where I sat in the bare, white room.

"Subject Three is the closest to the originating specimen.

"The originating specimen is male, but Subject Three out female, being one flaw. She can heal astoundingly but not as quickly at the origin. She is prone to bleeding, but her blood cells multiply at an inhuman rate. She's extraordinary, possibly better than the origin."

"Good God, Jackson. You were right! The cloning may be successful after all." exclaimed Swanson with glee.

Yeah, you heard her. I'm nothing but a clone attempt. The "originating specimen" is a man named Logan, from what I've heard. He's supposed to have these razor sharp, nine-inch long, blade-like claws coming from his knuckles. On top of that, he heals amazingly fast. Probably why I turned out that way.

Supposedly, they want his clones (people like me) battling in the war against Iraq. I'll bet you anything he doesn't know he's being cloned.

"Little girl," Jackson said in a sticky-sweet voice, "why don't you show us your claws, hun?"

I looked up at him with a death-glare. "I've got a name, you know. Lauren."

He frowned at me. "We've named you already."

"Already? I'm sixteen and I've never had a name until now!"

"Subjects are not supposed to have names. They are unnecessary and childish. Now, show us your claws."

I stared straight forward. Jackson shouted an order at me, but I blocked it out.

_Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm._

Again, he shouted something nasty at me.

_Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm._

He shouted once more, and I snapped.

I leaped up from my sitting position. In one blurred, fast motion, I extended my claws and with a deafening cry, I slashed Jackson down his back. I swung around and sliced Swanson's face. I bolted for the door, but as soon as I busted out, an alarm wailed. In about less than a second, an easy twenty men surrounded me. Each had a machine gun.

I extended my claws and snarled.

_**Author's Note: I do not own X-Men, Wolverine or anything associated with Marvel Comics. Nothing belongs to me, apart from Lauren and the others. Please tell me what you think!**_


	2. Like Looking In A Mirror

_**Chapter Two (Logan)**_

"_**Logan, are you sure you're feeling all right?" asked Storm. **_

_**I took a gulp from my beer bottle. "I'm fine**_**. Now go away." **

"**I don't believe you."**

"**Well, I am." **

**A pause.**

"**Logan---"**

"_**Storm**_**!" **

**That morning, I'd woken up from a nightmare. You know the kind where you **_**kind of**_** remember what happened, but not really, and you know it scared the crap outta you? It was that kind of a nightmare. Usually, I just shake stuff like that off, but this time it really bothered me. I felt like a piece of me was gone.**

**So I got myself a beer and headed out to the balcony. Apparently, Strom saw me on my way back from the kitchen and knew something was wrong, lucky me. Now I can't get her to just **_**shut up**_**. **

**Storm huffed. "Logan, don't you dare get drunk on campus." **

"**I **_**won't.**_** When have I **_**ever **_**gotten drunk?" I said.**

**Strom turned on her heel and left to teach her next class. **

**I watched all the students of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters chatter and laugh and quickly finish homework they never did, all together in the courtyard. I spotted Rouge, who smiled and waved. I smirked and lifted a hand in response. The school bell rang, and everyone slowly seeped their way into the building. **

_**God, I hope Strom doesn't make me sub today**_**, I thought to myself, taking another drink. She always ends up chewing me out when I sub, anyway. **

**I stared outside, letting my thoughts wander until they finally fell on my nightmare again. I sighed and went for another drink, only to find the bottle was empty. "Well, time for round two," I muttered, heading back into my room and tossing the bottle in the trashcan beside the door. I shoved my hands in my pockets and started my way down the stairs, hoping that no student would decide to pop out of the classroom and catch me with a beer. **

**When I got to the bottom steps I took a glance at the front door, and saw a girl stumble her way in.**

**She looked to be about fifteen, sixteen. Oh, and she looked a lot like **_**me**_**. She could've been a younger version of my twin sister. Dark, wavy hair, dark brown eyes, a sharp nose. . .It was like looking in a gender-bender mirror. Her clothes were smeared with blood, and there were three bloody holes in each of her knuckles.**

"**What happened to **_**you**_**, kid?" I said quietly.**

**She bit her lip and opened and closed her hands. "I hear this is a safe place for mutants. . ."**

**-----**

**Author's Note: Sorry for such a long wait, guys. My laptop came down with a virus, and my "Copied" file got deleted, and it kind of slipped my mind. Still, I do not own X-Men.**


	3. The Originating Specimen

Chapter Three (Lauren)

I stood on the wood floor of the huge office the man had led me to. It was probably the fanciest room I'd been in in all my life. The wall to my left was lined with a huge bookshelf, the wall to my left was a huge window. There was a desk in the back of the room, and two leather couches in the middle.

"Sit down, kid. You look like you need a rest." the man said after a while.

I flushed and looked at my bloody clothes and hands. "I don't wanna get blood all over everything," I said timidly. The man shook his head. "Whatever."

Abruptly, an African-American woman with strange, silver hair came in. "Logan, this _better_ be good! I'm the middle of a cla---" she stopped mid-sentence when she saw me. She looked from me, to the man and back at me. "Logan, who. . .Who is this?"

The man shrugged. "She just stumbled in,"

"I need a place to stay, only for a little while. Maybe a week or so." I said. "If this is a problem. . ."

"No, no. It's fine. What's your name?"

"I'm Lauren."

"Well, Lauren, I'm Storm," said the woman. She gestured to the man. "this is Logan."

_Logan!_ That was the name of the man that I'd been cloned from! All the clues came flooding to me, and I was shocked that I didn't realize sooner. The man that I looked identical to was _Logan_, this was a school for _mutants_, and of course, the two were previously oblivious to my existence. Storm asked me another question, but I was too shocked to hear. The man, sitting there on the couch staring at me, was the man that I'd been _cloned from_.

"Dear, where are your parents?" said Storm louder.

"I don't have any parents," I mumbled. "At least, it seems that way."

Logan leaned forward. "Well, where do you come from?" he sounded like he was starting to get annoyed.

Memories flooded back to me, my entire life being referred to as, "Subject Three", the tests, cage I was kept in, the day I escaped. . .The people I stabbed on my way out. I shuddered.

Storm set an earnest hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to tell us now, Lauren." she smiled warmly at me, and strangely enough, I didn't find it comforting. "Let's go get you cleaned up. You can borrow some of my clothes until we can get you your own, and then we'll find you a room."

"Uh, okay. . .," I said. I followed Storm out of the office, but I could feel a frustrated glance on my back. I was sure it was Logan, because I knew I'd made that face before.

I was itching to tell one of them---show them the nine inch blades that were now so cleverly hidden in my forearms---but I couldn't.

Not yet, at least.


	4. Adamanitum

Chapter Four (Logan)

"So, Logan," said Kitty as she worked on her science PowerPoint. "what's up with this new girl? She acts exactly like you."

Not long after Storm had gone to clean up Lauren, she asked me to supervise one of her classes in the computer lab. A class that Lauren was in. She looked totally out of place in Storm's clothes---A grey, formfitting quarter-length shirt, some black slacks. She was even in heels. Her knuckles were bandaged messily, and there was still dried blood on her skin.

"I dunno. She just. . .stumbled in this morning."

"Well, what's her power?"

I kicked my feet down from the desk. I realized that I hadn't even asked the kid is she was even mutant-qualified.

"Uh. . .I don't know."

Kitty laughed and tossed her brown hair over her shoulder. "This is some stuff you kind of need to know as a teacher."

"Kitty, I'm _not_ a teacher."

"Whatever you say."

I got up from my seat and started over to where Lauren sat. She was getting frustrated, mumbling something about not understanding and a four-letter word beginning with "S".

"Lauren," I said, wondering how I was going to word this to her.

"What?" she said, in a tone that was like poison. "I'm a little busy here, _bub_."

"I need to talk to you in the office, _darlin_'."

She turned around and glared. She huffed and stood up. I noticed that she was even close to my height. I shook my head. "C'mon."

On our way, Storm was coming down the stairs holding a grade book. She looked up and saw us. "Logan! I _told you_ to watch the kids!"

"I need you to come to the office with us, Storm, there's something we need to…discuss." I said, nodding over to Lauren. She looked up, an angry expression on her face. "Wow, what a delicate flower of a girl you are," I muttered to her. "Oh, yeah," she said, sarcasm dripping. "and what a gentleman you are."

I could tell Storm was holding back the urge to laugh out loud. "Lauren, you can't be his long lost daughter or anything, can you?" Lauren pursed her lips and clicked her tongue. "Not exactly,"

When we finally got to the office, Storm closed the door behind her and gave me the universal, "Logan, behave," look.

"Lauren, you need to tell us how you're a mutant." I said finally. "In other words, what are your powers?"

She flushed, and took in a deep, shaky breath. She balled her hands into fists, and I heard a familiar _snikt_ noise. "Oh my God," I breathed.

There stood Lauren, three claws coming out of each of her knuckles, made out of a material that I knew could only be adamantium.


	5. DNA

Chapter Five (Lauren)

Logan and Storm, stared at me, jaws hung wide open. I felt myself flush. To change the mood a bit, I started sharpening my claws on each other, holding my face away from the sparks. When I decided they were sharp enough for a show and tell, I stopped and folded my arms across my chest and rested my claws on my shoulders.

A few naughty words came out of Logan's mouth as he slid out his claws. "Who _are you_, kid?" he demanded.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said bluntly.

He shot me a cold stare. "_Try me_."

I took a deep breath as my claws inched back into my arms. "Logan, in a part of the government---ah, I don't even know for sure if it's government---they're _cloning_ you."

"Cloning me?"

"Yeah. You tend to leave around a lot of DNA. Using the DNA, they created four "subjects" or clones. I was the one with the most minor flaws. One, I'm a girl---obviously ---,and two, I don't heal quite as fast as you."

"Why me?"

"Because you're indestructible. The best. They wanna use your clones to fight in war."

Logan put a hand on his forehead and turned away. "Oh, God. . ." he muttered.

"Lauren, how long were you there?" asked Storm.

"All my life," I answered quietly.

"Is that why you came here today?"

"I escaped, but on my way out, they sent guards after me, and I ran. I'd rather not go into the gory details."

"Lauren," said Logan suddenly. "Are you being chased?"

I looked down at the silver heels Storm had given me. _Was_ I being chased? I was so stupid! I ran away to a school---a school full of kids who though they were safe. I'd endangered them all!

"Well, are you?" said Logan louder.

"I-I don't know," I shook my head. "Oh, God, I shouldn't have come here. . .Look, if I need to leave---"

"No," said Storm sharply. "It's fine. It doesn't matter if you're being chased or not. You'll be safe here, we'll make sure of it." She looked to Logan, who gave a solemn nod.

Suddenly, a bell rung. Storm chuckled shallowly. "It looks like we've talked right through you last class of the day. Lauren, you've been through a lot recently. Why don't you go to your room and rest?"

--------------------

I sat on the edge of my bed, just after impaling one of my pillows. I had a nightmare, about being back at the cloning lab. I'd woken myself up with a cry that I'm surprised no one heard.

I looked over to the radio on my desk to find that it was about one in the morning. I stood up, careful to not trip over Storm's heels (which I tore off my feet as soon as possible) and headed for the door.

The lights were still on in the hallway, but I heard no movement or any other noise from behind the doors, so I made sure to be quiet. I groggily padded my way down the stairs, hoping that everyone else had the sense to sleep.

I plopped down on the student lounge couch and clicked on the TV. I curled up and shut my eyes.

The last thing I heard before falling asleep was talk of a massacre on the grounds of a certain government base.


End file.
